14 



j-j j.> VjT J_i n x^ iv i ji. iv . 



JtJIiT 17, 1839. 



both for public and private interest , in Virginia 

 we offered, in the same letter, to sell to him or to 

 a company formed for the purpose of making silk, 

 a marled farm of GOO acres of land, and to vest the 

 purchase money in the joint stock of the adventu- 

 rers. We quote from memory, but believe with no 

 material variation from the substance of the letters ; 

 and the opinions then so expressed, and the in- 

 vestments which we were then (in advance of all 

 other adventurers in Virginia) re.-idy to make in silk 

 culture, if some practical and experienced cultur- 

 ists would undertake the management, mh.y serve 

 as strong proof, in addition to others of another 

 kind recently adduced, that we have long- and earn- 

 estly advocated the advantages of silk culture in 

 this region, and would have risked much of our 

 property on the soundness of that opinion. It 

 shwild be observed that at that time no one antici- 

 pated the multicaiilis speculation, and the enor- 

 mous prices which have since been obtained — or 

 counted on profits from so strange a circumstance. 

 For our own part, we had not then the sliglitest 

 expectation of ever soiling a plant from the silk 

 farm then proposed to be established ; and Mr Ken- 

 rick, in his scheme, probably counted on merely 

 making the usual sales and profits of that branch of 

 his general nursery business, to be increased in 

 product and amount, hpwever, by his availing of 

 our more genial climate. '!'o that operation he 

 limited his following of our advice; and tlmugh at 

 the end of two years, he sold plants (as we have 

 heard from other authority) from a few acres of 

 land near Richmond, for $30,000, that enormous 

 profit was a result beyond all previous calculations, 

 and for wliich we claim no credit in having encour- 

 aged the scheme by our advice. As we failed in 

 inducing the commencement of silk culture as the 

 main object, we cared nothing about the mulberry 

 culture alone ; and did not then set out a single 

 plant, nor until a year afterwards, when it was 

 caused by accident, and not by design, oV by calcu- 

 laiions of profit. 



It was under these circumstances that Mr Ken- 

 rick became a cultivator to some extent in Virgin- 

 ia, though still continuing a resident of Massachu- 

 setts ; and we have thought that the statement, 

 though a digression, mi;ht be interesting and use- 

 ful, as exhibiting, in a strong light, the practical 

 proof of the superiority of our climate. For the 

 adventurer has not only labored under all the dis- 

 advantages of remote residence, but also under 

 those caused by his prejudices against the facilities 

 offered by our cheapest and best labor. 



Mr Kenrick is altogether mistaken as to slavery 

 being the cause of the admitted agricultural degra- 

 dation of the fine region near Portsmouth and Nor- 

 folk, and, in a less degree, that of lower Virginia 

 generally. The holding of slaves doubtless in 

 some measure helps to produce the general result, 

 just as the faciliiies for comfort, ease, and rich 

 products of land anJ labor, so abundantly oflTered to 

 our countrymen by other circumstancei,. all tend to 

 lessen exertion, and to make us indolent and care- 

 less. This i« but according -.to the nature of man ; 

 and if there were not a slave in Virginia, there 

 would still be so much more ease in acquiring tlie 

 bare necessaries of life, (and, on the seaboard, many 

 of its luxuries also,) that our people would, in labor 

 and frugality, still be far Ijehind the crowded peo- 

 ple of Massachusetts, who, on a rocky and barren 

 soil, arid under a rigorous climate, must both toil 

 and save incessantly — or starve. It is because ne- 

 cessity does not drive, that perhaps on no one farm 



in Virginia is there so much economy of means and 

 of expenditure, as is general in the north. But in 

 other respects, there is as well planned and as 

 skilfully executed agricultural practice, and alto- 

 gether far better farming in Virginia, than in Mas- 

 sachusetts, [t is true that good fanning is rare 

 here ; and so it is elsewhere. But it will surprise 

 Mr Kenrick to be informed 'that our best farming 

 in lower and nuddle Virginia is always to he found 

 in connection with, and absolutely dependent on, 

 the most complete establishment and entire use of 

 slave labor. We could name many farms in Vir- 

 ginia of which the skilful and excellent cultivation, 

 the system of improvement, and the general manage- 

 ment, could not be deemed otherwise than admira- 

 ble, even to a New Englanderthe most intolerant 

 of and prejudiced against slavery; and we may 

 add, though not bearing on our proposition, tliat 

 these are generally the places where the comforts 

 of the slaves are best cared for, and their condition 

 is better than that of ninetynine hundredths of the 

 free laborers throughout all other parts of the world. 

 It may be true, on each one Of these our very best 

 cultivated and best managed farms, that a Yankee 

 might pick up a comfortable income, and means 

 for maintenance, in the matters regularly and con- 

 tinually wasted and totally lost. But it may also 

 be said, that without the cultivation and returns be- 

 ing very good, and there being much "profit actual- 

 ly made, so much waste and loss could not be af- 

 forded. Even with all our admitted faults of sys- 

 tem, and of execution, we feel 9sf-uied from such 

 information as we have, that there are many farm- 

 ers in Virginia who deserve to rank in their pro- 

 fession at least as high, if not higher, than the best 

 in New England. Still, we yield the palm, and 

 'freely award the praise to these our northern breth- 

 ren, of greater economy in everything, comprehend- 

 ing better habits of labor and of frugality. But 

 this latter difference and superiority on their part, 

 are owing to the difference of other ciicumstances 

 — the greater pressure of necessity in the one case 

 than the other, and not to the existence or absence 

 of slavery. Nor do we mean to underrate these 

 highly valuable elements of agrirultural success. 

 On the contrary, we have continually adrritted and 

 applauded the superior merits of our northern coun- 

 trymen in these respects, and recommended their 

 example to be better followed here. 



There are many circumstances v/hich have con- 

 curred to depress the agriculture of Virginia, which 

 we will not here stop to rehearse ; and there is no 

 part of the state where agricultural skill and pro- 

 ducts are lower, compared to the great natural ad- 

 vantages of the lands, than in the region in which 

 Mr Kenrick is now cultivating, and to which he 

 more especially refers, iu these respects. And if 

 a number of his more industrious and frugal coun- 

 trymen will come among us and avail of the ad- 

 vantages which ours so mucli neglect, we are con- 

 fident that, either with the benefit, (or incumbrance, 

 if so considered,) of slaves, or without, that they 

 can even now make far greater agricultural profits 

 than anywhere in New England. 



If the capabilities of an agricultural region are 

 to be estimated by its ivorst instead of its best prac- 

 tices, we might, perhaps, find even in Massachu- 

 setts, subjects for condemn-ation as great as any in 

 Virginia ; and grounds on which to pronounce the 

 northern people as deficient as any elsewhere, in 

 system, in judgment, and even in their peculiar and 

 acknowledged merits of provident foresight and 

 economy. We will quote, for example, a passage 



copied from the Survey of Berkshire, by the Agri- 

 cultural Commissioner of Massachusetts, which has 

 just been published, and from which excellent re- 

 port we shall copy sundry items of good husbandry 

 with much more gratification than we thus present 

 defects for comparison and illustration. 



" Yet with all this it must be admitted that the 

 agriculture of the county in extent and productive- 

 ness is far below what it should be. As well as I 

 could learn, Egremont is almost the only town in 

 the county which raises not only its own bread, but 

 has some for exportation. Vast amounts of flour, 

 grain of various kinds, pork and dairy produce are 

 brought into the county from the neighboring states 

 of New York and Vermont. It was asserted as a 

 fact, and if so it deserves notice, that two years 

 since, some families in one of the best towns in the 

 county, were without bread of any kind for a time, 

 from the impossibility of obtaining it. They were 

 persons for e.xample, who worked for the large wool 

 farmers. They asked for money for their labor ; 

 but money was not to be had, because the clipping 

 of wool, owing to the derangements of business, 

 had not been sold. They asked to receive their 

 pay in grain ; but the wool farmers had abandoned 

 all cultivation for the sheep husbandry. They ask- 

 ed for their pay in pork, but the farmers who rais- 

 ed no grain could raise no pork. Now whether 

 this be a true history or fabulous, it illustrates 

 clearly the error committed in abandoning the pro- 

 duction of grain." — Second Report of the vinicul- 

 ture of Massacliusdts. 



If these facts had been stated by a northern trav- 

 eller, of a cotton instead of a ivool-grov/'mg region, 

 a.nAof slaves instead of fret laborers, v/\ia.t would 

 have been the measure of severity of comment, 

 both on the improvidence and the inhumanity of 

 the farmers ! 



MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY FOR PRO.MOT- 

 ING AGRICULTURE. 

 Premicm List — 1839. 

 The Trustees of the Massachusetts Society for 

 the Promotion of Agriculture, announce to the pub- 

 lic their intention to oft'er in premiums not only the 

 sum granted by the government, but the whole 

 amount of the income of their own funds ; and as 

 they omit for the ensuing year their Cattle Show 

 at Brighton, they propose in addition to their usual 

 premiums on agricultural experiments, the following 

 premiums ■ 



For Stock. 



From any county of the Commonwealth to be 

 exhibited at Worcester, on Wednesday, the ninth 

 day of October next, being the day of the Annual 

 Cattle Show of the Worcester County Agricultural 

 Society, viz : 



For the best bull, not less than 18 months old $50 

 For the next best , 30 



The competitor may claim for any animal wheth- 

 er raised in the State or not, provided the owner be 

 a citizen of Massachusetts, and on receiving the 

 premium will oblige Iiimself to keep him for use at 

 least one year after the show, within the State. 

 For the best fatted ox $50 



For the next best 40 



It is required of the owner to certify in writing, 

 the age, breed, manner of rearing, and time and 

 mode of fatting, with such other facts as will ena- 

 ble the Trustees to decide the cost, and to estimate 

 the weight which will give the richest and best 



